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The lavish lifestyle of UAE citizens is known for its tallest buildings, ultra-luxury flats for sale in Damac Hills and other upscale areas, huge malls, biggest artificial archipelagos, and magnificent sheikhs’ palaces. Did you know that the locals didn’t pay for utilities or that there wasn’t any address system in the cities just a few years ago? Let’s discuss some facts that may surprise you in the article below.
“People’s Houses”
The native population of the UAE now resides in enormous villas. But even 60 years ago, Bedouins were still wandering the desert and establishing unplanned temporary villages. People appeared satisfied while living in tents made of camel hair or dwellings built of palm leaves.
As part of the urban resettlement initiative in the late 1960s, people were given “people’s houses” (shabi) for free. Even though they lacked sophisticated architecture and were constructed from cube-shaped concrete boxes, these buildings of the same sort allowed people to utilise the space effectively.
Modern times
In the UAE, shabi dwellings are still in use. However, the fundamental layout was modified to fit the needs and preferences of the modern inhabitants. New rooms and ornamental accents were added, the houses’ walls were painted in vivid colours, and the gardens were maintained.
Over several decades, the standard of living for residents of the UAE has greatly improved, and many have moved into larger, more comfortable homes and villas.
Arab sheikhs are next level
Sheikhs and other wealthy UAE residents have extravagant lifestyles. Only natural, highly expensive materials, such as ivory, Bohemian glass, marble, gold, and antiques made of rare woods, like red, are used in the decor and interior design.
Palaces are adorned with carved columns and semicircular arches, velvet furnishings, pricey carpets, golden lights, and special, custom-made designer items. All these make it difficult to refer to these places as dwellings. Everything is in spacious corridors and rooms with high ceilings that are decorated with opulent chandeliers.
Elite villas have a lot of rooms—a few dozen rooms. Additionally, there are swimming pools and even helipads in some of the homes’ courtyards.
Rich Arabs are known for their love of exotic animals, thus instead of cats, dogs, and parrots, they choose:
- Falcons;
- Tigers;
- Lions;
- Crocodiles, in some occasions.
The wealthiest Arabs, though, have a specific fondness for vehicles and horses.
Locals do not pay some utility bills
The population of the United Arab Emirates is close to 10 million. Only 15% of them are local nationals; the other 85% are visitors, who pay for the utilities. The state pays the citizens’ water and energy bills. True, but only within the predetermined consumption limits; they are still responsible for covering resource overuse.
Residents of the Emirates do not have to pay for heating, only for air conditioning. In the winter, the daytime temperature never drops below 20 °C.
The cooling mechanism is more significant. Every neighbourhood in every city in the nation has a separate centralised cooling facility that is a part of a single system.
Additionally, it is less expensive than having separate air conditioners. Condensate is produced during the general cooling system’s operation, and this condensate is then used to improve and landscape urban areas.
Architectural tricks to win a couple of degrees of coolness
In the past, dwellings in the UAE had palm leaf roofs and were built with a combination of dung, petrified coral, and seashells for the walls. Initially a forced measure, the usage of these natural materials was later understood to be advantageous because of their extremely low thermal conductivity, which is perfect for hot regions.
UAE architects currently use all-new cutting-edge technology and methods. For instance, they reduce sunlight entering a home by constructing it at a specific angle. This helps you to save the electricity that air conditioners require. Additionally, natural light is maintained. And it’s all because of the so-called passive daylighting technology. Engineers are able to guide natural light into the premises’ darkest parts with the use of skylights, glass doors, mirrors, and other reflective surfaces.
Finally
In order to see the available property offers, check out the catalogue on the Emirates.Estate website.
